Before I Say I Do
by 1980s-popito
Summary: Red sat down across from her, letting out a heavy sigh. "Ok, Jackie. Seriously, what's going on? I thought you loved Steven," he tried. "I do love him." "Then what's wrong?" Jackie took a breath as shaky as her voice. "Mr. Forman, I've seen too many marriages fall apart for the last couple years and that scares me. I mean, Mr. and Mrs. Pinciotti. My parents. I'm just scared."
1. Introduction- Do Me A Favor?

_**Do Me A Favor?**_

Red sat down in his old recliner, letting out a content sigh as he did so. He picked up the remote and clicked the television on, turning on his program: M* A* S* H. He enjoyed it due to the fact that it depicted the Korean War, but that the characters depicted it in a comical way, so he liked to make fun of how idiotic they were for thinking that- often using his favorite words to describe them: dumbass. They were fun to make fun of and make jokes about- at least with the jokes he personally enjoyed.

Just as soon as he sat down and the television screen from its blank black state to an actual picture, Red heard his name being called from the other side of the swinging kitchen door. He rolled his eyes in annoyance as he clicked the television back off and stood up from his chair. He grumbled to himself, but stopped as he entered the kitchen. When he did, he saw his wife with two of the six now adults that at one point lived in his house while in their late teenage years: Steven Hyde and Jackie Burkhart.

"What're you two doing here?" Red asked in an annoyed tone of voice, "Shouldn't you two be out picking plates or something?"

Hyde and Jackie had- finally- gotten engaged. He had picked a ring- with the help of Mrs. Forman- that would be perfect for his girlfriend, then while visiting the place where they had their original first date, long before they actually became a couple and they both said they had not feeling for each other romantically as teenagers- yet they both knew they did- and proposed to her. They had gotten back together in the year 1980, a few months after Jackie and Fez had broken up after dating for only one month, remaining friends. After being back together for two years, he finally proposed to her in the spring of the present year, 1982.

It's not that Red didn't like the two- he liked them more than he was willing to admit out loud- he just didn't think they'd be in his house while they were planning for their wedding the upcoming summer. He thought the only kitchen involved thing they'd be doing was going to Sears or some department store picking out their appliances for once they were actually married. Obviously he was happy for them, he just wanted to be happy for them while they weren't in his home, and not in his kitchen with his wife.

"We needed help with a few things," Jackie answered, "So we decided to ask Mrs. Forman cause she's really good at this stuff."

I agree with them there, Red thought. "What could you two possibly need help with?" he asked the two.

"We need help with the tux your son has to wear," Hyde answered, half sarcastic, "We don't know what material makes him feel itchy and what doesn't."

Red let out a small chuckle. "Why does he need a tuxedo? Why doesn't he just get drunk before your wedding so he can put on a dress like he always ends up in?"

Hyde smirked in amusement at the older man's comment; Kitty and Jackie shared unamused looks. "Red," Kitty scolded slightly, "He's your son, don't say that. And besides, he only put on a dress those couple times. It was usually Fez that would end up in a dress."

"She's got a point there, Red. Eric passed it on to Fez, and then to Charlie." The younger man's smirk stayed in place as he spoke.

Jackie let out a slight sigh. "We just want Eric to be the man for once," she said, "Especially cause I chose Donna to be my maid of honor and I don't want her to be the man this time in their relationship. She looked great at her and Eric's wedding, so she's gonna have to look at least good at mine, cause I refuse to let her look better than me."

Red looked at his adoptive son. "I thought you fixed her?"

The younger man with curly hair shrugged slightly. "I could only do so much, Red. Besides, you know how she likes to talk about Donna's appearance. It's like a trip down memory lane for the two of them."

Red really did like having his adoptive son around, and his fiancé- "The Loud One". Over the years, along with his son, he learned to actually like having six dumbass teenagers around his house or hanging out in his basement. Were they irritating? Yes, very much so. Could they be more idiotic and moronic at times than usual? He didn't even think it was possible for them to be bigger idiots sometimes, but then he would see things like Kelso glued to his refrigerator; or Eric, Hyde, Kelso, and the foreign kid all dropping a bowling ball onto his couch and breaking his television- the list was endless. But these were some pretty good memories to laugh at every once in a while. But now that the six were all out of his house- most of the time, anyway, since they all still came by frequently to visit Kitty- it felt a bit empty at times. Granted, he'd never admit to this out loud to anyone, but the thoughts were still there.

Red chuckled lightly again. "Right," he mumbled, "So why was I called in here anyway? If the two of you are getting help from Kitty, why do you need me? I could be making fun of Alan Alda and Wayne Rogers right now."

"Jackie has an important question for you," Kitty answered her husband seriously.

Red gave a questioning look, now slightly concerned. "How important?"

"Pretty important," Hyde answered, "And that's coming from me."

Jackie's question really was important. IN fact, it had to do with one of the most important parts of a wedding, aside from the bride and groom actually saying "I do". Her question would decide a very important factor for the wedding ceremony, and not just because it had to do with the bride- who was Jackie Burkhart! That made it even more important! But this question, the whole wedding depended on Red's answer. It was a traditional thing in nearly every single wedding for centuries, and if she could get the older man to agree to help her, the whole thing would be even more perfect.

Jackie stood up from her seat, walked over to the man and let out a deep breath. "Mr. Forman," she started seriously, "I need you to do me a really big favor."

"Depends on what it is," Red answered skeptically.

"On me and Steven's wedding day… would you walk me down the aisle and hand me over."

He gave a questioning look. "Hand you over?"

"You know how at weddings, the bride's father always walks her down the aisle and hands her over to the groom?" When he nodded, she continued, "Well, my dad's still in prison, so obviously he can't. And either way, he never really payed too much attention to me when I was growing up, so I would've only asked him to do it for the sake of tradition. And I would ask W. B., but I don't really know him too well, and I'd only ask him cause he Steven's dad. So after taking those two into consideration, I decided to ask you if you'd do it. I mean, I've always looked up to you like a father, so I was wondering if you would walk me down the aisle."

Red was taken back by the young women's request, and it showed in his facial expression. "Me?"

Jackie really did always see Red Forman as a father figure to her, even before her father had been sent to prison. He'd always been there for her, ever since he talk her how to fix a car engine. And even though she knew he didn't always like to be around her and the rest of her gang as teenagers, he still didn't act so terrible to her when she was growing up. Plus, her and the rest of the five all still believed that she was Red's favorite. For these reasons, she hoped he'd say yes to her request.

Red was a bit shocked that she asked him to walk her down the aisle as her father. He knew that her father was still in prison, and probably would be for the rest of his life- but either way, he knew that her and her father never really had a close personal relationship. And like she said, he knew that she and W. B. didn't know each other well enough for her to consider him a "father figure". He was flattered that she had asked him, and he was also honored that she had asked him, since he knew how important it was for a father to walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding. And since he hadn't been able to do that when Laurie had married the Foreign Kid years earlier, he thought it may not be so bad to do it for "The Loud One".

"Please, Mr. Forman," Jackie pleaded a bit desperately, "If you say you'll do it, I'll never ask you to do anything ever again."

The three could almost laugh at the girl's words, but know she meant well. "Sure, Jackie," Red answered with a genuine smile, "I'll walk you down the aisle."

The younger woman let out a slight squeal of joy as she smiled and quickly hugged the older man. He grew tense at first in shock at the woman's action, but let his body relax and hugged her back. When the pulled away from the hug, she smiled at the man and said, "Thank you, Mr. Forman."

Hyde slightly nudged Kitty. "How much you wanna bet he agreed cause she's still his favorite?" he asked with a joking smirk, causing the elder woman to let out one her signature laughs as she nodded a bit in agreement.

 **Hello all! Welcome to my first multi-chapter fanfiction story for That 70s Show! If you didn't notice (but you probably did), it is called "Before I Say I Do". I got the idea off of my own one shot, the short story posted above. I have made it the official introduction to this story, or at least the start of the whole thing. I will leave it up also as a one shot, for those who want to just read that and not this story.**

 **The premise of this story, "Before I Say I Do", is all the events leading up to the 1982 wedding of Jackie Burkhart and Steven Hyde. I am a MAJOR "shipper" of Jackie and Hyde from the series, rather than how some people might prefer Jackie and Kelso (but most people I know prefer Jackie and Hyde, and I don't blame them). Honestly, I "ship" Brooke and Kelso, so she will be in this story- even little Betsy at times, cause who doesn't love Betsy and small children!**

 **Well, maybe Red… maybe. who knows with that guy?**

 **Anyway, I hope you will enjoy the story! The official first chapter of the story will be posted next week. Updates should be every two to four weeks- two weeks after the update before that is the earliest, four weeks after the update before is the longest. It all depends on my schedule.**

 **I hope you all stick around for the official first chapter! Peace from all the hippies of the world. =^-^= (get used to that saying, cause I sign off every author's note with it)**


	2. It Takes Two

_**Before I Say I Do**_

 _ **Chapter 1: It Takes Two**_

"Oh, wasn't what Jackie said to you just so sweet, Red?" Kitty asked her husband as she slid next to him in their bed.

"What?" Red asked suddenly, looking up from his book. He cleared his throat, "Oh yeah, uh… real sweet."

She glared at her husband for a moment. "Oh, Red. C'mon, you know that what she said meant something to you."

That was true. What Jackie had said to Red in the kitchen of the Forman house that day had really touched him. The fact that, after all those years, she had- and still did- think of him in a fatherly way and position. While he knew that the teenagers that used to hang around his house were annoying- and downright dumbasses- at times, he'd always try to treat those kids like any father should. So even though they got on his nerves at times- most of the time- it still felt good knowing that he'd made an impression on them and had made a positive impact on them in a fatherly way.

Of course, he'd never say this out loud to anyone- especially now to those _adult_ dumbasses that he, for some reason, couldn't really live without.

But Red knew that Kitty could read him like an open book. He knew that she could tell what his thoughts were, no matter what those thoughts really were. They'd been married too long and had dealt with those kids for too long, so she was practically an expert on him and how he felt about them. He knew that his wife most likely knew that he didn't _really_ hate those kids who'd been hanging around their house for years. That didn't mean that she didn't know that he did get annoyed and frustrated with them a lot- but that's just how he was with children, no matter what their age. You can get annoyed by them, but you still can't help but love them.

"Eh," Red shrugged nonchalantly, in response to her statement.

Kitty lightly slapped the back of her hand against his forearm. "Red Forman," she criticized, "Stop acting like it didn't mean anything to you. I know it did."

"Well, it's not like I was her first choice, Kitty. You heard her mention her dad and W. B."

"It's not that you weren't her first choice, Red. It's the fact that she still chose you."

Red tried to look unphased. "Sure, ok."

Kitty let out a slight sigh, then looked back up at her husband. "At least Bob wasn't an option," she tried to point out.

Red looked at his wife and began to laugh, and she did the same. "He'd probably be a blubbering mess down that aisle," he managed to get out between laughs.

-/-/-

"I still say that he only said yes cause you're his favorite," Hyde commented to his fiancé.

Jackie shrugged lightly as she stood in front of the mirror, brushing her hair. "I don't completely doubt that," she agreed, "But it also could've been for the fact that he doesn't know when Laurie might be actually getting married."

"Or if she already is. Or if she has a kid already- which she might."

Even hours after asking the eldest Forman about the wedding, Jackie was still overjoyed the Red had agreed to walk her down the aisle. When she'd asked him, she'd been one hundred percent genuine that she put him in a fatherly position. She really did think of him that way, and for a number of reasons. One: he'd always been there for her- as well as the rest of the group- even when he didn't want to be. Two: he'd taken her into his home when her father had been arrested and her mother was out of the country. Three: he'd been the one to teach her how to fix a car. There were hundreds of other reasons why she thought of him as a father to her, but these were just some of the major reasons.

And Hyde really did believe part of the reason Red agreed to walk Jackie down the aisle was because she was his favorite. He also knew that the older man did really care about them all, going off of what he'd seen over the years of living in the Forman house. He knew that the eldest Forman genuinely cared about the lives and well-being of them all, no matter how often he tried to deny it. He knew that it wasn't just Kitty who cared about the six of them- well, eight, including Brooke and Betsy- cause if it wasn't just her who loved them, how come they all ended up staying around the Forman house so much without having a foot in each of their asses.

Although, there was a theory that Red still didn't particularly like Fez, since he'd married Laurie and gave him a heart attack.

Jackie slid into the bed they shared together ever since a month after they got engaged. Hyde raised the blanket up a bit as he slid toward the edge of the bed an inch or two, giving room for her to get in. Once she was in, he let the blanket fall over her smaller figure and she snuggled up against his right side. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer to him as she wrapped her arms around his torso. The two shifted in bed until they were both completely comfortable in their positions.

"We still have a lot to do before the wedding," Jackie commented.

"Yeah," Hyde breathed out, "Cant' wait."

Jackie looked up at him excitedly. "Really?"

He let out a light chuckle at her excitement. "Sure, doll."

Her face fell a bit, noting his tone. "You're just saying that to make me happy, aren't you?"

"Depends. Did it make you happy?"

"Well, yeah…"

"Then it worked," Hyde said with a visible smirk, then leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

-/-/-

The next morning, the Forman house was alive with people. Kitty was running around, making breakfast for all of her kids that were all in the house at the present time. Jackie sat with Donna and Brooke at the kitchen counter, going over a schedule for the day. Hyde, Eric, Kelso and Fez all sat at the kitchen table- Fez daringly sitting in Red's chair- just talking and goofing off, just like they always had. Little Betsy Kelso was going back and forth between her mother, her father, godmother, godfather and her "grandma" Kitty. At the present time, she was by Kitty- who was still making food for breakfast- helping the eldest female of the house in any way she could and her mother allowed.

"Are you being careful, Betsy?" Brooke questioned, looking up from what she was doing to check on his daughter.

Both Betsy and Kitty looked up at the mother. "Yes, Mommy," Betsy answered in her gentle, high pitched tone of voice.

"Oh, don't worry, Brooke," Kitty consoled, then covered the little girl's ear for a moment- which caused her to giggle, "I'm only letting her help me prepare the plates once everything's prepared and the stove is off." Kitty took her hands off the giggling girl's ears as Brooke gave a smile in appreciation, then went back to what she was doing with Jackie and Donna.

Red entered the kitchen, then let out a groan of annoyance as his eyes scanned over the occupants of his kitchen. All those present in the room looked up at him in confusion and with questioning looks on their faces.

"Why're you all here?" Red asked, not hiding his annoyance, "You're all adults, so why're you all still in my house?"

"Red, honey, you need to go out to do some errands with the boys today," Kitty answered, still looking at her cooking, ignoring his original question.

"Why?"

"The same reason I'm going with Jackie, Brooke and Donna."

"And me!" Betsy made sure to mention with an eager smile.

Kitty looked down at the little girl and nodded. "Yes, and you too, Betsy."

"Which is?" Red asked, not focusing on the little girl too much at the moment.

She walked over to Red and whispered, "You're partly going to make sure Michael and Fez _behave_ themselves today. And cause you're a part of the wedding, so you have to go."

"Fine…"

Kitty let out one of her signature laughs. "Alright everyone, we'll all have breakfast then we'll get going and start planning this wedding!"

The word "great" was heard from those in the room- but the tone in which the word was said varied from person to person.

 **Here's the official first chapter of "Before I Say I Do". Each chapter will be named after a song, but the words of the actual song will not have to do with the chapter at all- mostly, just the actual title of the song. If the lyrics to the song work for it, that works for me.**

 **To be honest, I'm not very happy with this chapter, but I am with the other ones I already wrote, so I think it'll get better from here. Hopefully though, you liked it- with that, next update will be in two to four weeks, no more no less. I only updated earlier for this first one cause for some reason, I had time. Peace from all the hippies of the world. =^-^=**


	3. Who Can It Be Now?

_**Before I Say I Do**_

 _ **Chapter Two: Who Can It Be Now?**_

"Thank you _so_ much for coming along, Mrs. Forman," Jackie smiled towards the elder woman.

"Oh, I'm happy to do it, Jackie," Kitty confirmed and let out a single laugh, "I'm just, just so happy that you asked me for my help with all of this."

Jackie, Donna, Brooke, Kitty and little Betsy left the house and got into the bride-to-be's car. The woman were all going out to start looking for anything and everything needed for the wedding. During the day, both the guys and the girls would do this, then the engaged couple would take the time alone and go over all they'd found and make a decision. But for during the day, Jackie decided that she would get all the help she possibly could- even including the help she could get from her lumberjack best friend. Then of course, she could always trust the opinion of her perfect little goddaughter, Betsy- if she was a Kelso… though, half of her DNA was from Brooke, so that would outweigh the Kelso blood and DNA strength.

"Well, of course, Mrs. Forman," Jackie smiled, "You've always had décor in your home that wasn't completely disastrous."

Kitty gave an unsure look, but still smiled weakly. "Well, thank you," she giggled confusedly, "I think."

"I think that was a compliment, Mrs. Forman," Donna whispered to the elder woman a bit unsurely, "At least, in her head it was."

Jackie scowled at her friend for a moment. "It _was_ a compliment, Donna."

Kitty smiled at the scowling driver. "Then, thank you, Jackie."

Jackie's scowl quickly changed back into a smile. "You're welcome, Mrs. Forman. Oh, Donna," she said in sudden realization, "Maybe if we have time, we can look for some new clothes for you!"

"Great," Donna said with a fake smile and fake excitement.

Brooke nudged the redhead. "I'm shocked that she hasn't criticized _my_ clothes yet," she whispered.

Donna pat the mother's arm comfortingly. "Don't worry, it's still early," she pointed out.

-/-/-

"I still can't believe I got stuck with you dumbasses," Red grumbled as he looked around at the four younger men in the car.

Eric was driving his old Vista Cruiser to the store. To keep Red _somewhat_ calm, he'd had his three friends sitting in the back seat of the old car. Of course Red was still annoyed by the three morons that were in the back seat of his former car- due to both his increasing age and his natural annoyance rate- so it didn't do much. But it was clear that Red was having an easier time ignoring and blocking out the words and odd sounds that might come from the three since they were separated from him.

"Oh, come on, Dad. It's not _that_ bad," Eric tried, "It's like when me and the guys were all teenagers again."

Red ignored his son's comment. "At least Bob's down in Florida," he grumbled.

"Actually, Mr. Red," Fez began from the backseat- making the elder man roll his eyes, "Bob is coming up from Florida to see Jackie and Hyde get married."

"How do you know that, Fez?" Kelso asked his friend curiously.

Fez looked at his man-pretty friend. "I talked with Bob on the phone the other day and he told me so himself."

The other four in the car had looks of slight disturbance on their faces. "Fez," Eric tried, "You talk to Bob on the phone?"

Fez nodded innocently. "Yes, don't you? He _is_ your _father-in-law."_

Before Eric could say anything, Red let out an annoyed grunt. "Of course Bob has to come," he muttered, "I know it was too good to be true."

"W. B. is coming in a couple a' days too, Red," Hyde commented, "He's actually meeting us at the tuxedo place in a couple days."

Red thought for a moment. "Well, I don't mind W. B. too much. He's not as bad as Bob."

"Leo's coming too at some point." A small smirk formed on Hyde's face at the irony.

Red rolled his eyes again. "The dirty hippie?"

Kelso's face lit up. "Leo's coming too?" he asked happily, "Man, I haven't seen him in years!"

It was obvious to Hyde that Red was annoyed by two of the three newly mentioned guests that would be joining in the near future. It was known to most people that Red Forman was annoyed just thinking about Bob Pinciotti and Leo- not so much W. B., though, but that was beside the point. Hyde knew that the elder man didn't particularly like having the two other men around, but they had to come. Jackie had lived with Bob for a period of time, and Leo was like a crazy uncle to him- a burnt out, out of sorts, crazy uncle. And W. B. was his biological father. The three had to come or they might feel insulted… well, at least W. B. and Bob would probably feel insulted. Leo would probably be hurt at first, then probably forget or get confused five minutes later.

"Red, don't worry," Hyde tried to reason, "Bob's staying with Forman and Donna, and W. B.'s already living here, and wherever Leo goes, he won't be staying at your house."

This did comfort Red a lot. He couldn't deal with Bob Pinciotti staying in his house for long- hell, he didn't like having Bob in his house at all. He didn't particularly mind if W. B. was around, but he didn't like having anyone stay in his house for a long period of time. And Leo- he just didn't like that dirty hippie even being within a hundred feet of him. So the fact that his adopted son had already thought about who'd be staying where a comfort, and a large weight was lifted off of his shoulders.

"Alright," Red muttered, "I guess that's alright. But I'm still not happy that I'll have to be around Bob and that dirty hippie."

"What about W. B.?" Eric asked curiously.

Red shrugged lightly. "I don't mind him. But if it were Bud, then we'd have a problem."

"Trust me, Bud doesn't even know that I finished high school. He won't be there," Hyde said sternly and finally, obviously not wanting to talk about the man he had once believed was his father.

The group all chatted and laughed with each other the rest of the drive- well, at least the four friends did. Once all five had arrived at the store, they all got out of the car and approached the store. They looked around at the other people that were walking in and out of the store; it was either a group of women, a family, or a couple. Those three kinds of groups that were walking in and out of the store all looked at the group of five grown men a bit strangely, but did their best to ignore it and go on with their business. This made four of the five men feel a bit awkward and annoyed- the other one didn't seem to mind much.

They all jumped when they heard a familiar voice from behind them greet, "Hey there! Hi there! Ho there!"

Red rolled his eyes and groaned loudly. "Oh, crap," he growled.

-/-/-

The four women and the little girl with them all got out of the car. They walked together as a group toward the entrance of the home goods store they were headed to. As they walked, they noted that the groups of people walking in and out of the store were other groups of women, families and couples. The woman all felt a bit of excitement run through them as they approached the entrance- one feeling more anxious and excited to be getting things ready for her wedding.

The woman all jumped when they heard a familiar voice cheerfully greet, "Hi everyone!"

Jackie turned around and looked at the woman with wide eyes. " _Mom?!"_ she exclaimed.

 **Yay chapter two of "Before I Say I Do"! if I'm right, it's been three weeks since I published and updated the story, so I'm in the range I said I would be. Chapter three should be up in a time period of two to four weeks from now.**

 **I really am excited to be getting into this story. I'm gonna be bringing back a lot of people and things from the show, even people that may not have been seen since earlier seasons. Maybe even Laurie will pop up- but who knows, since no one ever knows where the heck she is.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Watch out for the next in the next two to four weeks! Peace from all the hippies of the world. =^-^=**


	4. Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

_**Before I Say I Do**_

 _ **Chapter Three: Should I Stay Or Should I Go?**_

"What're you doing here?" Jackie asked, a shocked expression still on her face.

"I came because my baby girl is getting married," pam answered enthusiastically and as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Jackie gave an odd look. "Well, yeah. So?"

"Did you really think I'd miss my daughter's wedding? Or not want to be a part of it at least?"

The last person that Jackie would expect to make an appearance was her mother. Sure, the two had reconciled with each other in the late seventies, but they didn't have that mother-daughter relationship people all wished for. By the time the year 1980 came, the two really only talked to each other about once or twice a month. This had pretty much stayed the same as the years progressed on. The two weren't close, and at times were almost like total strangers. That's just how it ended up being for the two, and neither of them had given any indication that they minded that.

And now Jackie regretted that she told her mother about the engagement and the newly started wedding planning.

"Mom, I only told you about this cause I didn't think you'd come," Jackie said honestly.

Pam gave a confused look. "Why would you think that, sweetheart?" she asked.

The others present all exchanged dumbfound looks. "Maybe because you left her years ago," Donna suggested, feeling the need to defend her best friend.

"Now, now, Donna," Kitty tried a bit desperately, trying to find something to say, "While this is true… Pam's still Jackie's mother."

Brooke raised her hand slightly. "From what I've seen, Mrs. Forman, you're more of a mother to her, to be honest," she informed quietly, as not to throw any more fire onto the flame.

Kitty put a hand over her heart, obviously touched by the young mother's words. "Well, thank you, Brooke."

Jackie rolled her eyes slightly and quickly. "Mom," she said sternly, "I _didn't_ want you to come."

Pam gave a hurt look. "But, Jackie," she tried, "I'm your mother."

"Well, you never really acted like one before, so why start now?" Jackie gave one last glare, then stormed away.

-/-/-

"Bob, what the hell are you doing here?" Red asked, not hiding the annoyance in his voice.

Like established, Bob Pinciotti was the absolute _last_ person Red wanted to see at the moment. It was bad enough that he was walking into a department type store, looking for wedding related items, with a group of men. That was already a pretty big annoyance and embarrassment. But now the fact that _Bob Pinciotti_ was there with them- that made it even worse for him. It was an obvious thing that the elder Forman was annoyed with the situation as a whole, so the fact that there was now a whole other factor added to the already annoying situation- he felt like he was in a nightmare.

Bob gave a look like the answer was staring them all right in the face. "Isn't it obvious, Red?" he asked, "The kids are gettin' married."

Red looked unimpressed. "And what does that have to do with you?" he asked.

"Well, Red- Jackie did live in my house for a good long while."

"And your point is?"

"Oh, come on, Red," Bob tried, "I'm really good at this wedding stuff.'

"As obvious by that green and gold tux back when you and Midge renewed your vows," Red reminded.

Bob held out his hands in question. "It was for the Packers! I thought you of all people would've respected that."

It was unanimous that _no one_ respected that wedding decision. Even when they were still in the seventies and the actual wedding was going on, no one appreciated the color scheme. Sure, it was great when actually watching the Packers on television playing a game, and those colors were on a jersey or jacket- but when at a wedding where the groom was wearing those colors on his suit, the bridesmaids wore it on their dresses, and nearly all the decorations were the same color… well, that was a bit much. Frankly, it was quite blinding at the time.

"I don't mind," Hyde shrugged nonchalantly.

"Fine," Red grumbled, "But you try to get me into a green and gold tux again, my foot'll be up your ass."

Bob smiled. "Aw, thanks, Red," he said genuinely, then headed into the store.

Eric nudged his best friend. "You really think that was a good idea, Hyde?" he asked quietly.

Hyde smirked a bit. "Who knows? But you gotta admit- it'll be a hell of a thing to see."

"Good point, let's go."

-/-/-

"Jackie, wait!"

Jackie couldn't handle her mother being there, so she just ran. She was mad at her mother for a few reasons. One: she had just decided to shop up out of nowhere. Two: she just left years ago, and didn't really come back. Three: she didn't act like a proper and good mother should! A lot of the time, she seemed to act more like a college girl on spring break than a woman who was getting to be near forty- or whatever her mother was turning! But instead of being in Mexico- though she was at one point- or in Fort Lauderdale, she was in Point Place!

"Jackie," Donna called as she followed after her friend, "Will you just stop?"

"No, Donna, I won't," Jackie said angrily as she turned around to face the redhead.

"Jackie, come on. Just tell me what's up."

"I don't want to."

Donna gave a stern look. "Jackie, you're being ridiculous! Look, just tell what the problem is, and I'll stop, okay?" she tried.

Jackie gave her an annoyed look, sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine!" she agreed, "It's my mom."

The redhead was silent for a moment, a weird look on her face. "Yeah, I kinda figured that."

"Do you want to know what my problem is or not, Donna?"

 _Yes and no,_ she thought. "Alright, alright. I'm sorry, go ahead."

"Look, I told her about the wedding last time I wrote to her and talked to her, which I wish I didn't now. She can't just show up, acting like she genuinely cares about what's going on."

"How do you know she's not genuine?" Donna asked.

"Don't be ridiculous, Donna," Jackie said, "She's not, trust me. She's here for a specific reason, and it's _not_ cause I'm getting married."

"Well, then why's she here?"

"Well… ok, I don't know the _exact_ reason yet- but I'll figure it out."

"So is she staying or not?" Donna asked, her patience beginning to run a little thin.

"Give me one good reason I should let her stay."

Donna gave a weird look. "Oh, I don't know- maybe cause she's your _mother_?"

Jackie scoffed loudly and threw her hands in the air. "What an expected excuse. Who's side are you on here, Donna?"

"Look, Jackie- I'm not happy about the fact that she left you when your dad went to prison, ok?"

"He's _not_ in jail, Donna! He's helping natives!"

"Whatever. Either way, I'm not thrilled with her either for that. But she's still your mom, I guess."

"What's your point?" Jackie asked, shaking her head slightly in annoyance.

Donna took a breath. "What I'm saying," she begun, "Is that you should at least be thankful your mother's here. My mom didn't really help out when Eric and I got married, cause she didn't wanna risk something with my dad. Be thankful your mom wants to help out."

Jackie really didn't want her mother to stay for the wedding planning. Why should she let her mother stay? She was never around for anything else- so why should this be any different? She knew her lumberjack friend had a good point, but their relationships with their mothers were different. She didn't want her mother to ruin their and how they were going. No one ruins Jackie Burkhart's wedding. For crying out loud, she's Jackie Burkhart! If anything, Jackie Burkhart's wedding would be perfect!

"Ugh, fine!" Jackie finally caved, "But I'm only agreeing cause you talked about your mom not being there when you wanted her to be. And you owe me!" She then walked back toward the original group.

Donna took a heavy sigh. _Why did I agree to be involved in this wedding?_ she asked herself as she followed after her short best friend.

 **Woot woot, chapter three! I think this chapter gave a good sense of nostalgia rom the show and memorable scenes and scenarios from the show. What did you think of Bob and Pam being back? And what do you think will happen when they find out the other is there?**

 **You won't find out for a little while longer, but it'll happen. Don't worry.**

 **Also, I hope everyone is doing amazerful.**

 **Next update should be in another two to four weeks- no less, no more. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and peace from all the hippies of the world. =^-^=**


	5. Girls Just Want To Have Fun

_**Before I Say I Do**_

 _ **Chapter Four: "Girls Just Want To Have Fun"**_

The group of men walked through the large department store, all feeling a bit strange as they did so. They were quite a sight to see for those around them in the store, that was for sure. Two middle aged men, along with four other men in their twenties, all walking through the bathroom décor part of the store. And the bedroom décor. And the kitchen décor. And the living room décor. Not to mention the facial expression each men wore; two of the men looked slightly eager, one seemed neutral, one looked curious, one looked a bit confused, and the last looked annoyed by the situation as a whole.

You probably already known which is which.

"Hey, look at this," Fez said happily and ran over to a shelf, "A home cotton candy machine! You and Jackie should get this, Hyde."

Kelso got excited at the mentioned device. "Me and Brooke should get this!" he said excitedly as he went over to the device with his friend.

"For Betsy?" Eric tried, even though he already knew the idea behind it.

Kelso looked over at his friend a bit hesitantly. "Uh… yeah, for Betsy."

"I don't know, Fez," Hyde said hesitantly, "I don't think Jackie would like a cotton candy machine."

Fez looked offended. "Who would _not_ love a cotton candy machine?"

"Jackie, most likely."

Kelso still looked mesmerized by the machine. "I bet Brooke would love this… for Betsy."

Red rolled his eyes. "Can we just hurry up and get the hell out of here?" he requested in a rough voice.

The group of men all walked away from the cotton candy machine- two of the men a bit disappointed. The group all continued through the store, trying not to pay attention to anyone who looked at them. They knew it was strange to see the group of them, but- for some strange reason- they all still went together. They kind of had no choice, especially when the one who sent them all together was Kitty Forman- and no one wanted to go against her words.

Eric nudged his friend and brother on the arm. "How do you think the girls are doing?" he asked curiously.

"Well," Hyde thought aloud, "Jackie's probably loving it, I know that's for sure."

-/-/-

"I am so _not_ loving this," Jackie complained to those she was with.

"Jackie, stop," Kitty scolded.

"But this was supposed to be fun, Mrs. Forman. I had everything planned out- then _she_ decided to join us."

"Jackie, she's your mother."

The young bride rolled her eyes and threw her hands in the air. "Why does everyone keep using that excuse?"

It was no secret that Jackie didn't want her mother there. She complained about it enough when the woman wasn't there, or had just disappeared into another part of the store they were in. The young bride-to-be's mother was definitely a surprise- not a very good one in the young woman's opinion, but still a surprise. It wasn't the kind of surprise that Jackie Burkhart was used to, and definitely _not_ the kind that she would want. This was the kind of surprise that she _did not_ want, and would _never_ want. _Ever._

Especially not when it involved _her_ wedding.

Everyone kept telling Jackie to give the woman a chance. They all kept telling her that she should give her a chance, just because Pam was her mother. _What difference should that make?_ She thought, _It's not like she was a_ good _mother._ She at least wasn't in the young woman's opinion, based off of everything that had happened in her teenage years. Based off of the mother-daughter relationship that they had in the late seventies, it was understandable why the younger woman didn't believe her mother was a very good one

"But, Jackie, she's your-" Brooke tried.

"I know, I know!" Jackie interrupted, "She's my mom, I know! You've all said it enough times!"

"Then what's so complicated and difficult about this?" Donna asked in a confused tone.

Jackie rolled her eyes. "When my dad went to jail, where was my mom? Down in Mexico and who knows where else. When I needed her most, she wasn't there for me. She only cared about herself and her life, not mine."

That comment made the other three women present stay quiet. Kitty and Brooke had never been in a situation even close to that; Donna had somewhat of an idea, but only cause her mom had left. While Midge had left her husband and her daughter, she still kept in contact with the redhead. Even with that, none of them had a mother who stayed out of state and out of country and drank and partied while he husband was thrown in jail. And along with that, leaving their only child alone in a house to take care of herself before she reached adulthood.

"See my point?" Jackie questioned.

As the other women all agreed sullenly with her, the woman in question reproached the group. "I'm back everyone," Pam said in a sing-song voice.

Jackie gave a fake smile. "Great."

All Kitty could think of to do was to let out one of her signature, nervous laughs.

-/-/-

By the end of the afternoon, the group of men were leaving the department store they'd spent their day in.

To say that the day had been a waste of time would be the understatement of the year. As the men had traveled through the store, they constantly stopped to look at random items through the building. Along with the cotton candy machine, many other items like it caused a delay of some kind. Each man had stopped to point an item out to the group at least once- even Red and Hyde. At the end of the day, the two min tried to figure out the most ridiculous thing that they stopped for, and agreed that it was when Bob- somehow- had found a banjo in the store.

They were walking through the house decorating part of the store, and there was the banjo. Five of the six men found it very random, while a certain Bob Pinciotti grew as excited about it as little Betsy Kelso would get about a new toy. He picked up the banjo, played around with it, and almost bought it to take it back home with him to Florida. The only reason he walked away from it was because Red had threatened to stick that very same banjo up his behind.

"Well," Hyde began as he cleared his throat, "Today went well."

"Yes, I believe it did," Fez smiled genuinely, not catching the sarcasm in his friend's voice.

Eric looked over at their foreign friend, a blank stare on his face. "Fez, I think he was being sarcastic, buddy," he suggested in a monotone voice.

Fez gave a look mixed with confusion and disappointment. "Oh, right."

"It was a waste of time for me," Kelso beamed, "I figured out what I'm getting Betsy for Christmas!"

Red rolled his eyes at the young father, but remained silent.

"Kelso, man," Hyde began, "Christmas isn't for another seven months."

Kelso smirked a bit. "Christmas in July, Hyde. Duh."

Red and Bob looked at each other, both with a strange look on their faces. They both rolled their eyes and let out an annoyed sigh of their own at the young father's words as they all retreated from the store and to their cars parked in the store parking lot.

"Yeah," Hyde breathed out quietly as he got into the driver's seat of his old El Camino, "Christmas in July."

 **Greetings humanoids. How'd you like this chapter? What'd you think of all the antics going on in this chapter? Next chapter is mostly just a regrouping of everything from this chapter and the characters. Also a cute scene (at least I think so) at the end of it with Jackie and Hyde. Then the chapter after that, the two of them make a hard decision…**

 **Real quick- I don't usually promote my other stories too much anymore, but maybe check out a small story I'm doing for fun here on fanfiction. Net? It's called "Back In My Arms Again". It's in the Buckaroo Banzai fandom under movies, and you don't have to see the movie, read the book version or read any of the comics to understand anything going on. It's a family, friendship, romance, adventure and even crime-fighting story, so if you're into that, maybe check it out? I get it if you don't want to, the Buckaroo Banzai fandom is a very small one, but just figured I'd throw it out there since I never really advertise my other stories anymore.**

 **Anyway, hope you guys liked this chapter. Next one should be out in two to four weeks, no more no less. Peace from all the hippies of the world. =^-^=**


	6. Nothing Is Easy

_**Before I Say I Do**_

 _ **Chapter Five: Nothing Is Easy**_

"So, how'd it go today?" Jackie asked as she sat down opposite from her fiancé.

Hyde took a drink from his soda, then set it down on the table. "Bob showed up," he stated flatly, "God Red pretty teed off."

"I thought you knew he was coming up from Florida to help with the wedding?"

"I did, but Red didn't." He smirked a bit at his statement.

"How did the day after that?"

Hyde didn't really want to tell her that the day was pretty much wasted- but he didn't want to lie to her either. He already made it clear years earlier that he didn't like to lie to her- too many people had done that to her by the time she graduated high school. So while they were together, he made sure to promise her that- no matter how many times she told him it was ok in certain situations- he'd always tell her the absolute truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Was it hard? Sure, especially in this case, cause he knew how excited she was about planning their wedding. But he wouldn't break his promise.

"Well," Hyde began, taking a deep breath in, "To be honest, we got nothing done."

Jackie's eyes widened for a brief moment. "What? Why not?" she asked, shock lacing her tone.

"Mostly cause of Fez and Kelso. They kept seeing things they wanted, and then we'd get stuck in that spot for a little while cause they'd try to figure out a way to try and get one."

She let out a couple giggles. "Why am I not surprised that they did that?"

"Cause they're morons? Whatever, that's nothing new. How'd it go for you all today?"

Jackie didn't want to tell him that they'd also got nothing done, like he said he and the guys did. She also didn't want to tell him that her _mother_ had decided to make an appearance; she knew how all those boys got when Pam was around, so she didn't want them to really know and go back to when they were teenagers, all trying to impress her. But, she was mostly embarrassed by the fact that they got nothing done- and they had a child with them! Not two man-children! And the thing was, in their case, that little Betsy wasn't even the problem!

Well, of course she wouldn't be- she had Jackie as a godmother. She was the best person in the whole world to have as a godmother.

But then again, Betsy was half Michael Kelso. Sure, she was half Brooke, but did that weigh out the Kelso genes?

Either way, the one that had cause the most problem for Jackie was Pam Burkhart. Who did she think she was, taking away the attention from the bride to be, especially when that bride was Jackie Burkhart! No one takes attention away from Jackie Burkhart! If anything, Jackie Burkhart takes away the attention from someone! That's just how it was. It was scientifically proven that this was always the case… well, maybe not _scientifically_ , but who cared about science? She's Jackie Burkhart, and that's just how it goes.

"Honestly," Jackie sighed sadly, "Not too great."

Hyde was shocked by Jackie's answer. He knew how much she loved to talk about wedding and anything involved in weddings, so he expected her to be having a grand old time with all of this. That was part of the reason that had decided to have a wedding at the end of the summer, cause they knew she'd be ready to take it on. They had a whole thing planned- and to both of them, that plan seemed to be going down the toilet.

"Do I wanna know?" Hyde asked.

Jackie let out a heavy sigh. "My mom showed up," she answered, obviously not pleased.

He gave a look of surprise. "Pam's here?"

"Yeah. But she just showed up, literally, out of nowhere!"

Hyde knew how Jackie felt about having her mother around. He knew that they hadn't kept up the best relationship in the world, and he knew that she didn't want her mother around. He couldn't imagine how it must have made her feel when Pam showed up suddenly, especially without telling anyone about her presence. At least with Bob, they knew that he was going to be coming up to Wisconsin for the whole wedding planning process and for the wedding itself, and the same went for Leo and W. B.- but Pam, as far as he knew, no one had been told about her arrival.

"You didn't like that," Hyde stated, more of just a true statement rather than a question.

"Of course I didn't!" Jackie answered, "I didn't want her to come! I think she might have a reason that she came."

"Which is?"

She paused for a moment, thinking. "Well, I still don't know it yet, but I'm gonna find out!"

He nodded slowly. "Just make sure not to get too wrapped up in your mom and why she's here, ok? Just think about the wedding planning. I mean, you love all that stuff, remember? Picking dresses and suits, colors, patterns, flowers, all the stuff. Just think about that, and then deal with your mom and why she's here later on."

Jackie gave him a smile. "Thank you, Steven," she said, obviously eased by his statement.

Hyde leaned over and kissed her temple lovingly, happy that she was feeling better.

-/-/-

"So how'd it go for you guys?" Donna asked her husband eagerly.

Donna and Eric had decided to get married, even while they were still in college. It had been a small wedding, only having their close friends and family present. The major difference with this wedding and the original, was the fact that both the bride _and_ the groom showed up this time! Neither of them had cold feet, and neither one regretted the fact that they'd said, "I do." After they got married, they were shocked to find out that they were not the only married couple at their school in Madison.

"Well," Eric thought aloud, "If we planned on getting them a home cotton candy machine or some sort of gift that Jackie would probably hate- then I'd say it went well."

Donna gave a questioning look. "A cotton candy machine?" she asked, trying to figure out if she had heard him right.

"Yes, Donna. A cotton candy machine."

"Should I ask?" She let out a light chuckle as she asked her question.

"Let's just say, Kelso might be getting a home cotton candy machine for Betsy, and Fez might be getting one for… Fez."

Donna didn't know any other reaction to Eric's answer other than laughter. She knew how her friends were and how they'd always been like children, even once they all got into their adult years. Thought, to be fair, while they were all still a bit immature in certain areas, they all were also mature at the same time- if that made any sense.

Donna began to look back on the past seven years of her life, as well as her friend's lives. A lot had changed for them all, and when she was thinking "a lot", she meant _a lot._ Friendships, graduations, children, relationships, marriages, careers, and parents- you named it, and somehow, they had all seemed to make it through it all. It made her smile, knowing that they had all stuck together through it all and stood by each other.

So it actually made her a bit happy to hear the two most childlike of their group were still as childlike as ever.

"So," Eric began, gaining back her attention, "Did Jackie say anything about your clothes?"

Donna thought for a moment. "You know, now that I think about it," she began, "I don't think she did. Unless you count her suggesting getting new clothes for me if we had the time."

"I think that's like when she gives those passive-aggressive insults at your wardrobe."

"It's alright. I'm pretty much immune to most of her comments at this point. Besides, her mind was pretty much somewhere else all day."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Pam showed up-"

"Pam's back in Wisconsin?" His eyes widened in shock.

Donna nodded. "Yeah, I know. I do have one question though."

"Yeah?"

She tried to hold in her laughter. "Are you gonna put your suit on again?"

-/-/-

Jackie sat alone at the small kitchen table in her and her fiancé's apartment. Spread out over the surface of the dinette table were magazines she'd gotten in the mail and at the store for those who were planning for a wedding. The bride-to-be's arms were crossed over an open magazine, and her head was cradled in her folded arms. Her eyes were shut and her mouth was slightly ajar as she slept, gentle sounds of her breathing escaping from her lips.

Hyde leaned against the doorway of the room, looking over his sleeping fiancé. He didn't want to wake her from her peaceful sleep, especially after hearing about her mother being back, but he didn't want to leave her asleep on the table all night. If this was one of his friends, he'd pour cold water on them to wake them up and to kinda screw them over- or if it were Kelso, he'd probably punch him in the arm. But this was his fiancé.

If he tried anything he'd try to wake one of his friends up on _her_ , she's turn into Red Forman and stick her tiny foot up his ass.

Hyde moved to the other chair at the table so he could sit next to Jackie. He placed one of his hands gently on her back, the other on her upper arm and began to shake her gently. "Come on, Jackie," he tried as she began to stir awake, "Time to get up."

"What time is it?" Jackie groaned out tiredly, her head still on the table.

"After two in the morning, Doll," Hyde answered gently, "I thought that you might be more comfortable sleeping in a bed instead of the table."

She sat up and looked down sadly, her eyes still showing how tired she was. "Steven, can I ask you a question?"

He smirked playfully, trying to lighten her mood. "You just did."

She rolled her eyes. "Steven, I'm serious!"

"Alright, I'm sorry. Go ahead."

"Do you think we'll have everything ready in time?"

"I think so," Hyde answered honestly, then shrugged, "And if we don't, you and me drive to Las Vegas, find a chapel, and have an Elvis impersonator marry us."

All Jackie did was shook her head at him, but still gave an amused smile as she let out a laugh. Hyde couldn't help but smile at her.

 **I think that this was a cute chapter. The part where Hyde and Jackie are talking about Pam, that was just added in now- in the notebook I write the original draft of it in, and usually keep it the same way, I had it that Jackie doesn't tell him what happened just yet and that she'll tell him in the nearby future. I didn't like it when I was typing this, so I had it that she tells him and he tries to comfort her. This was partly from an idea from a review from nannygirl (thank you, girlie!), as well as a few things I have coming up to go along with a few other ideas I already had.**

 **Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. I really hate asking for other reads, but I'm going to for two stories I have. My story here on fanfiction. Net, "Expect the Unexpected" (originally titled "Back In My Arms Again"), if you would check it out? Mostly cause I would like a bit of feedback on it. You don't have to, just suggesting :) also, if you have the Episode Interactive app on your mobile device (Samsung, Ipad, phone, etc.), maybe check out my contest entry "Mysterious: Mona Lisa Smile". It's for their April 2017 writing contest, where you had to write a mystery story. Again, you don't have to- just suggesting if you wanna.**

 **Again, hope you liked the chapter. Next update should be in two to four weeks. By the way, this was the last time I'll mention other stories of mine XD peace from all the hippies of the world =^-^=**


	7. Stormbringer

_**Before I Say I Do**_

 _ **Chapter Six: "Stormbringer".**_

The next day, Jackie and Hyde got up a bit later, and decided to take some time to do things _without_ their friends. They figured that, with the antics of the previous day, maybe they should try and do a thing or two on their own. Maybe they'd get more done that way, since they wouldn't have to deal with the antics of the two man children, and a mother who randomly showed up and decided to be involved.

"I could call Mrs. Forman," Jackie offered as she buttoned up her choice blouse for the day.

Hyde gave an unsure look. "I don't know, Jackie," he said and cleared his throat a bit, "Maybe I should do it. I don't want her to think it was all your idea."

"We could both tell her then. Call her and we both talk to her."

"I guess that'll work. But know this- in all the years I lived in the same house as Mrs. Forman, I realized that she doesn't take news like this too well."

-/-/-

"I'll get it!" Kitty called from her spot at the kitchen counter as she rushed over to the phone on the wall. Once she picked up the phone, she gave a cheerful, "Good morning! Forman residence."

Kitty had been in an even happier mood ever since a wedding had begun to be planned. Weddings were always such a happy occasion, and she was so excited to be getting involved in her surrogate son's wedding. What made it even better was the fact that it meant that both of her precious boys were going to be married! And so such good girls like Donna and Jackie! _And,_ not to mention the fact that them being married meant there being a greater chance of her becoming a grandmother sooner!

" _Hi, Mrs. Forman, it's Jackie,_ " she heard in Jackie's voice form the other end.

"Oh, hello, Jackie," Kitty gushed, "Where're you and Steven? Everyone's here at the house waiting for you two to get here."

There was a brief pause from the other end of the phone. _"Well, you see, Mrs. Forman… Steven and I decided we'd just do things on our own today."_

Kitty's smile flipped into a frown and her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion at the young bride's words. "What?" Her voice had lost all of its original perkiness, and they were now treading on broken thin ice.

" _Mrs. Forman,"_ Hyde's voice came over, _"We just wanna look over everything we both found yesterday with all of you."_

"So we all _will_ be with you two today?" Her voice was hopeful.

" _No. No, Mrs. Forman. It's just gonna be me and Steven today."_

"What?" Kitty repeated, her voice lost of hope and now showing signs of anger, "But everyone's here. We're all waiting for you two."

" _Well, you all could still go,"_ Jackie tried to say cheerfully, _"We just won't be with you."_

"But we're a wedding party. And a wedding party isn't a wedding aprty without the bride and groom, _damnit!"_

-/-/-

The same group that had been in the Forman house the day before now all sat in the living room, rather than in the kitchen. The group all sat watchng the small television set as it played a rerun of _Mork and Mindy._ It was an episode from the first season of the series, and it was a good one- though, most of the people in the room in the room enjoyed the show and series the whole time, they would say that all the episodes were good ones. The only person who wasn't currently enjoying one of the many wacky adventures and antics of the alien who's name rhymed with his home planet was the female head of the house, who stood in the next room behind the swinging door that connected the kitchen and the living room of the Forman house.

"You know what I love about _Mork and Mindy?_ " Kelso asked, grinning like a child, "How Mindy let Mork just move in with her. Didn't even know the guy. Just found him and his egg, and lets him live with her. That's sexy."

"Michael," Brooke scolded.

"No, for real, Brooke! I mean, sure, we did it the first time we met, but it took me a while just to get you to really go out with me."

"Maybe Mindy is a whore," Fez suggested innocently.

Both Brooke and Kelso looked over at their foreign friend, the young mother quickly covering the ears of their young daughter with her hands, making the little girl jump a bit in surprise. "Fez!" Brooke yelled in a scolding tone, a little more severe this time, "Don't say that in front of Betsy! And you too, Michael!"

Kelso looked at his girlfriend and the mother of his child, a questioning look on his face. "What'd I do?"

"You talked about you and Brooke doing it in front of Betsy," Eric answered absentmindedly, not moving or twitching; Kelso let out a noise of betrayal.

Now Donna looked at Eric. "While I'm proud of you for finding what's wrong," she offered, "Don't say what he did in front of Betsy!"

Betsy turned to face her mother and father, her ears still covered. "I can't hear the TV, Mommy," she complained innocently.

"Are we ok to uncover Betsy's ears now?" Brooke asked, her "serious mother" tone obvious to those around her.

Bob raised his hand slightly. "Can I say something before you do that?" he asked, almost afraid to speak.

Brooke looked to Red. "Should I let him?"

Red looked up suddenly from his paper and shrugged, "Sure. Why not."

Brooke looked back to Bob. "Go ahead."

Bob smirked slightly. "Mindy's hot."

Fez nodded and smiled. "Amen, brother," he agreed.

The young mother gave one last look around the room before uncovering her daughter's ears, and pulling the child onto her lap. There were no other sounds that bounced off any surface in the room, with the exception of Robin Williams' voice, as well as Pam Dawber's, and the laughter from the TV audience, as well as the laughter of those in the room watching the show. It was a nice and enjoyable moment for all those in the room- even for the one in the room who always seemed to be irritated by one thing, or person, or another.

At least, that's how it was until they heard a familiar voice yell from the next room over.

"But we're a wedding party. And a wedding party isn't a wedding party without the bride and groom, _damnit!"_ the familiar voice yelled.

All of those in the living room of the Forman house all looked suddenly in the direction of the kitchen. The voice belonged to Kitty Forman, the female head of the Forman house. They all knew she was on the phone, but they didn't quite know who she was speaking to- more like yelling at- on the other end. Although, after her little outburst that rang through their ears, they all had a bit of an idea of who she was speaking with.

"Who's Grandma Kitty talkin' to, Mommy?" Betsy Kelso asked, turning around to look at her mother again.

"I don't know, sweetheart," Brooke answered gently, "But I think it's Aunt Jackie and Uncle Steven."

"Did she say a bad word?"

"Uh… no, sweetie. But don't say what she said either way, ok?"

All those in the Forman living room then exchanged looks of concern and confusion- and even fear- with one another. They all thought back to Kitty Forman's menopause years, all of them suddenly filled with fear and nervous and afraid of what might happen next. Red and Eric exchanged look, both of them looking like a deer caught in the headlights. "Oh no," Eric mumbled, looking up at the ceiling, then down at the carpet.

"What's the matter?" Bob asked hesitantly.

Red shook his head, bringing him back to reality. "What?" he questioned, "Sorry. I just had a flashback…"

Donna gave her father-in-law a sympathetic look. "A war flashback, Mr. Forman?" she asked, her tone of voice matching the look on her face.

Red shook his head. "No, not a war flashback. A flashback to when Kitty had menopause."

Everyone looked around at one another again, and shivered slightly at the memories of that dark time in the Forman house.

Red took a deep breath and stood up from his chair slowly, clearing his throat nervously. He slowly headed toward the kitchen door that connected the kitchen and living room. "I'm going in," he said bravely, "And Eric? If I don't come back in here in five minutes- bring a bottle of wine in from the bar." After the youngest Forman nodded, Red took another deep breath, pushed the kitchen door open, and entered into the kitchen- or right now, what was known as "the eye of the storm".

"What an American hero," Eric said honestly, his tone full of heart and admiration for his father.

 **Poor Red.**

 **This last part was kinda fun to write actually. This is the first time writing this story that I had no doubt that this is something that would've happened in the show. Actually, this whole chapter was this way. I like this chapter- no, I love this chapter. And I love** _ **Mork and Mindy**_ **. It's one of my favorite shows, and since I have it that this story takes place in 1982, it was just finishing up that year I believe. and it was a popular show, so it works, I think.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next update should be in two to four weeks, no more no less. Peace from all the hippies of the world. =^-^=**


	8. Without You

_**Before I Say I Do**_

 _ **Chapter Seven: "Without You".**_

Kitty Forman's heart ripped in two and fell on the floor and was then stomped on with every word the two young people said. How could they say that they wanted to do things by themselves? Without the help of their friends? Without the help of the woman who loved and took care of them in their teenage years, and _still_ took care of them?! Without the help of _herself_?! It was her God given right to help the two with their upcoming wedding planning as the woman who was a major part of and influence in their lives! She had every right to be there through the whole process of their wedding planning, right up to the point where both the bride and groom said 'I do'!

Kitty Forman had every right to be mad at the young engaged couple.

" _Mrs. Forman,"_ Jackie tried desperately from the opposite end of the phone, "Please _don't be angry."_

"Angry?" Kitty repeated, "You think I'm _angry_?"

" _No offense, Mrs. Forman_ ," Hyde cut in, " _But you do sound kinda angry."_

"No, no, no, no, no. I'm not angry, Steven. Why should _I_ be angry? I mean, you two just decide to, to not have me help you two plan your wedding, that's all. After all these years, and you two just don't want any help planning your wedding. Why should _I_ be angry?!"

Just then, the head of the Forman house- Red Forman, himself- came into the kitchen from the living room. Kitty looked up at him briefly, still holding the phone against her ear and head. He could see the anger and sadness written all over her face and in her eyes. Seeing that made him both nervous, and himself angry. He didn't like to see his wife upset in any way, shape or form. He wondered who she was talking to on the opposite end of the phone, who was making his wife so angry that it reminded him of when she still had menopause.

"Uh, Kitty?" Red tread lightly, "Who you talking to on the phone there?"

"Steven and Jackie," Kitty spat, then handed him the phone, "Maybe you can talk some sense into those two dumbasses." And with that, she stormed out of the room.

Red's eyes widened for a moment before he cleared his throat and held the phone to his ear. "Uh… hello?"

" _Hey, Red,"_ came back in Hyde's voice.

"Steven, why the hell did Kitty just yell from the kitchen, hand me the phone and storm out of the room?"

" _Look, all we said was that we wanted to go out by ourselves today instead of with everyone else."_

"Why would you go and do something as stupid as that? It's Eric's job to do stupid things like that, not yours."

"I heard that!" Eric called from the living room, but Red just rolled his eyes in response before yelling, "Shut it!" in an annoyed tone.

" _Mr. Forman,"_ Jackie's voice came through the other end, _"We just wanted some time along while we planned the wedding. We didn't want to hurt Mrs. Forman's feelings, I swear."_

"You two know she's sensitive when it comes to things like that, especially when it involves you kids. For some reason, she likes having you all always around."

Hyde's laugh could be heard from the other end. _"Yeah, cause we all know you hate to have us around, Red,"_ he teased, the smirk on his face obvious in his tone.

"Shut it, wiseass," Red snapped.

Sure, everyone knew that Red really did like having them all around. And he knew that all the kids knew that, too. But he would never verbally admit to liking having all those damn kids around his house all the time. And based off what the kids all knew, this was not a surprising response for the younger man.

What really bothered Red at the present moment was how upset Kitty had gotten over the whole situation. He always hated seeing his wife so angry or upset- or both- about things. There were a lot of things he couldn't do anything about in his life, and when those were the things that would make Kitty upset, he despised being in that kind of situation. He didn't like to see his wife so unhappy, and he always wished he could do something about it.

Well, this one was close to him. And damnit, if he could do something or arrange something with the two engaged idiots to make both them and his wife happy- then he'd do it.

"Look, Steven," Red began, clearing his throat again, "You can't not let Kitty go and help you two out with all this wedding crap."

" _It's not that we don't want her help,"_ Jackie tried, " _It's that we wanna get everything done by the time we get married."_

" _Neither of us got anything done yesterday, Red,"_ Hyde added.

"Well, that was cause Tanto, Kelso and Bob kept stopping for every little thing we passed by in that damn store."

" _Well, for us, it was my mom showing up,"_ Jackie said, _"But I just want everything don before the date we chose to get married, that's all. I don't think that's too much to ask."_

Red nodded to himself. "And I get that. But is there any way to have Kitty help you still? You know how much she loves this stuff and how good she is at it."

" _Maybe you should come too then, Red."_

"Why me?" Red asked the younger man, not hiding his annoyance at the request.

" _You've done all this before."_

"Uh, well… so have Eric and Donna."

" _The six of us can all go and plan everything,"_ Jackie suggested.

Hyde was heard in the background asking his fiancé, " _What about Fez, Kelso, Bob, and Brooke? And W. B. and Leo are supposed to come at some point."_

"We'll figure those two out when they get here," Red dismissed, "And I guess we could all go with the two of you. But yeah, what about those other three?"

" _I guess we don't gotta tell 'em,"_ Hyde answered a bit strangely.

"Fine with me."

" _Will you tell Mrs. Forman?"_ Jackie asked, " _She'll probably listen to you more right now than the two of us."_

"Yeah, I guess."

" _Thanks, Red. We'll see you tomorrow."_

-/-/-

Jackie and Hyde hung up the call and leaned against their kitchen wall. They looked at each other, both with looks of skepticism on their faces. He held out his arm sideways, quietly signaling for her to move there. She shuffled over to him and nestled herself against the left side of his torso. He lowered his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders, holding her close to him as he began to run his hand up and down her arm soothingly.

"Do you think Mrs. Forman will forgive us?" Jackie asked a bit nervously, "Cause I really do still want her help."

"I think she'll come around," Hyde answered honestly, "After she has a drink or two, though." His voice was teasing.

"Steven!"

"And after Red talks to her."

"You could've just said that one."

"That probably wouldn't have been as accurate."

-/-/-

Red walked back into the living room in search of his wife. When he saw the blender out on the bar and heard a sound from the next room, he rushed into the dining room. Kitty sat at the table, a drink next to her on the table, and photos sprawled out all over the table. She was hunched over the surface of the table, going through and inspecting the photos all over the table, letting out a chuckle and showing a smile every so often. He sat down next to her and she looked up and smiled at him.

"So," Kitty began, a slight edge in her voice, as she crossed her arms and hands on top of the table, "Did they rip your heart out, too?"

"Kitty, I don't have a heart," Red claimed then shook his head as he sat down, "How do you feel about the two of us going wedding planning with Jackie, Steven, Eric and Donna tomorrow?"

"I thought they wanted to do it alone."

"No, they don't. They just don't want the other morons around to hold them back."

She thought for a moment as she took a sip from her drink. "Ok, I guess that makes sense." She then let out one of her famous laughs.

He smiled at her. "So are we going with them?"

She tried to look unexcited and unphased by the suggestion, but wasn't all that convincing. "I guess so."

Red couldn't help but give her an amused smile, and Kitty smiled back gently at him.

 **Hey party people. What'd you think of this chapter? I hope you liked it.**

 **Anyway. I probably won't be able to update like do. I'll probably only be able to update once a month- but I have good reason. I am just finishing up high school as I type this, and am graduating this weekend out of state. Then this August, I start as a freshman in college, so yay. Plus this summer I plan on getting a summer job (just waiting for responses about my resume). Also, I am writing a few books and stories that I would like to finish this year and approach a publisher and see if my works can get published. So wish me luck.**

 **Anyway, next update will be sometime in June. I don't know when, but just know June. That goes for this story, and my other current story "Layla". Hope you liked the chapter. Peace from all the hippies of the world. =^-^=**


	9. Takin' Care Of Business

_**Before I Say 'I Do'**_

 _ **Chapter Eight: "Takin' Care Of Business".**_

 _One month later. Late June, 1982._

"Don't you all think it's a bit strange that Jackie and Hyde haven't done much for their wedding lately?" Brooke asked all those present in the room.

With the exception of the two in question, all those who were in the Hyde-Burkhart wedding parting sat together in the Forman living room. Despite the eldest Forman's claimed dislike for all- Kelso, Brooke, fez, Donna, Eric, Bob, Pam, and even Leo- hanging around his house, they all had a current spot somewhere in the living room. They all sat patiently, watching a rerun of _Happy Days_ on the television set. They had all been sitting in an amused silence, just enjoying the show- but it wasn't really until the young mother had mentioned it that got those in the room all thinking.

"Hey, you know," Kelso began, "They _haven't_ been doing anything for their wedding!"

Bob looked over at the head of the Forman house. "Why haven't the kids been doing any wedding planning, Red?" he asked curiously.

"Wait," Leo interrupted, " _Kids_ are getting married? Isn't that illegal, man?"

Red rolled his eyes and ignored the dirty hippie's question. "I don't know, Bob," he lied simply.

Of course Red knew about the wedding planning- and so did Kitty, Eric, Donna, and W. B. For the last month, those five and the engaged couple had been getting whatever they could done for the wedding, and had gotten so much done that the wedding had been moved up to July 31 that year, the last day and the last Saturday of the month. They did all that they could without the rest of the group, those who had been holding them back a bit- and as they guessed, things were now getting done quicker and easier. Did they all feel bad about this at least a little bit? Of course they did- but not bad enough to not go and take care of what they had to get done.

Of course, he wouldn't tell them this fact, and he could only hope that his son and his daughter-in-law wouldn't blab about it.

"Alright," Bob said skeptically, "I just figured that you'd know, considering Hyde lived in your house for a while."

"What the hell, Bob?" Red asked in an annoyed tone of voice, "Why do you care so much?"

"I'm curious too, actually," Pam cut in, her voice as cheerful as ever, despite its confused tint.

"I am curious as well," Fez added in casually.

Eric and Donna exchanged strange looks, but both remained silent. They both were thinking of all they had gotten done with their best friends for the upcoming wedding. They had been sworn to secrecy about the wedding planning, and were both prepared to keep that promise. Both decided to keep their mouths shut and only to speak if it were necessary.

Brooke took notice of the silence coming from the young married couple. "Hey, Donna," Brooke tried to get the attention of the redhead.

Donna looked up at the young mother, her effort to look inconspicuous was obvious. "Yeah?" she asked, acknowledging that she had heard her.

"Has Jackie told you anything about the wedding?"

The redhead gave a fake look of disappointment. "Uh, nope. Not a thing."

"Geez, that's hard to believe," Kelso said in amused tone and looked back at the two girls, "Cause I remember when I was dating Jackie, she was always talking about _our_ wedding. And I mean _always!_ " The only way I'd get her to stop was by making out with her."

Brooke gave an angered look. "Michael-"

"Or by doing it with her."

"Michael!"

Kelso looked at her, confusion written all over his face and his hands up in surrender and in question. "What'd I do?"

All Brooke could do was roll her eyes.

"Ok, then," Pam said a bit awkwardly, her voice still perky and cheerful, "I'm going to head out. It's obvious that they're not coming- again. I'm off to Happy Hour at the bar on Center Street. I'm meeting a fireman there. His name is Will Jacobson."

"Isn't he the fire chief?" Eric asked skeptically, trying to help keep the conversation in a different direction.

Pam smiled as she stood up from her spot on the piano bench, nodding enthusiastically. "Uh-huh."

"What if there is a fire?" Fez asked, a bit nervously.

Pam shrugged carelessly. "Then they'll call the fire department, of course," she answered with a chuckle and headed toward the door, "Toodles!" And with that, she was out the door.

Bob cleared his throat as he stood up and rubbed his hands together a bit. "Yeah, I should get going, too. Kmart's having a sale on leisure suits," he smiled.

"I wonder why," Red grumbled.

Bob shrugged. "Beats me. They're leisurely, it's in the name! Anyway, I wanna get there before they run out. See you all later." And with that, he left the Forman house.

Red looked to his daughter-in-law. "He really doesn't get sarcasm, does he." It was more of a statement rather than a question.

Donna just pressed her lips into a line and shook her head. "Not really, no."

-/-/-

Kitty Forman, Jackie Burkhart and Angie Barnett walked through the store slowly. They inspected each fabric carefully, checking its pattern, color, feel, and thickness. The three made little comments and mental notes as they continued on through the man aisles of fabric. The bride-to-be read aloud each fabric name and number that interested her, her future sister-in-law writing down each title and code in her small notepad, and the motherly figure giving helpful and suggestive tips about each fabric.

"Thank you so much for helping me with my wedding dress, Mrs. Forman," Jackie gushed to the older woman.

"Of course, Jackie," Kitty smiled, "I'm just honored that you allowed me to make your wedding dress for you. I was actually a bit surprised that you asked."

"Of course I would! Then if you make it, then it's a one of a kind dress- kinda like how I'm one of a kind."

Angie gave an amused smile. "I didn't know you knew how to make a dress, Mrs. Forman," she commented.

Kitty smiled proudly. "Oh, I've made plenty of dresses over the years. When Laurie was a little girl, I made _all_ of her dresses. I've even made quite a few for little Betsy," she giggled.

Angie gave a strange look. "What about for someone a bit… taller?"

Kitty was hesitant. "Well, aside from making a dress for Laurie every so often, and altering parts of dresses, not really. But it shouldn't be much harder. It's just a little girl's dress- just bigger and more elegant in this case." She then let out one of her signature laughs.

As the elder woman moved out of earshot, Angie leaned in close to her soon-to-be-sister-in-law. "You have a backup plan, right?" she whispered.

Jackie nodded quickly. "Yeah, I do," she confirmed.

The group of three continued through the fabric store for another hour and a half. They looked through the fabrics, ribbons and buttons, almost psycho-analyzing each item that they saw. After leaving the fabric store, they went to a designer who drew the kind of dress that the bride-to-be desired, giving a copy to each woman and keeping one at the shop, just in case. After leaving the shop, the three all went to a posh and cute little café in town for lunch and a break from their busy day.

"Oh, Jackie," Angie began as she stuck a fork in her meal," How come Brooke, Donna and your mom didn't come with us?"

Jackie nearly choked on her soda. "Well," she cleared her throat, "Donna would've came, but she doesn't have a good sense of fashion, so I told her she didn't have to come."

"What about your mom and Brooke?"

Jackie swallowed hard as she looked over to the elder woman, her words written all over her face, pleading: _Help!_

All Kitty could think of to do was to let out one of her signature laughs in a nervous response to the questions and such flying around her.

 **Hi there! How are you all? Sorry about the updating process now, but I have a good reason. Updates will only be once a month now at most. If I finish writing a chapter earlier than planned and have time to type, then I will update earlier than this schedule. But, this may not always be the case. Hopefully, next update should be at the end of June (today is the last day of May). But I have a reason for this.**

 **I was just hired as a cashier at Sears, meaning I'll have a summer job (woot woot!). I also start college at the end of August as a freshman, meaning work. I am also currently writing a few stories on Episode Interactive, which takes a while due to coding and choices. I'm also currently writing a book that I wish to bring to a publisher to try and get published in the future.**

 **I am sorry for the updating gaps, but blame life. Anyway. I hope you liked this chapter, and I hope that you'll wait for me to update. Thanks for reading, and peace from all the hippies of the world. =^-^=**


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